News

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation ("MMC") has invested in illuminus Inc. ("illuminus"), a startup that is developing advanced nanoparticle technology, through the MMC Innovation Investment Limited Partnership (*1).

illuminus develops and manufactures metal and alloy nanoparticles using its proprietary "pulsed-laser induced reduction" (*2). Up to now, chemical reduction methods have been employed to manufacture nanoparticles, and reducing agents such as chemicals have been used. illuminus' proprietary technology uses laser energy to directly reduce metal ions, which allows highly pure and uniform nanoparticles to be synthesized. The absence of reducing agents reduces the environmental impact and makes the manufacturing process more sustainable. The manufacturing method that uses this proprietary technology also demonstrates outstanding performance in the synthesis of alloy nanoparticles, enabling compositional and structural control of nanoparticles that was difficult to achieve in the past. Being able to freely design the physical properties of nanoparticles is expected to lead to the development of materials that exhibit advanced functions in a wide range of fields, such as electronic components, catalysts and medicine.

Through this investment, MMC will collaborate with illuminus in developing technology for manufacturing new metal and alloy nanoparticles with a low environmental impact. MMC will provide technical support including supply of the materials necessary for nanoparticle synthesis processes. We will also establish a method for synthesizing new alloy-based nanoparticles based on our materials and aim to commercialize these nanoparticles at an early date while promoting the development of new applications for them.

MMC Group has established "For people, society and the earth, circulating resources for a sustainable future" as Our Commitment. We will continue to implement various initiatives to realize Our Commitment through the provision of nonferrous metal materials and high value-added products.

(*1)

A corporate venture fund established in March 2019 jointly with JMTC Capital G.K., a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan Material Technologies Corporation, to invest in venture companies that possess materials technology.

(*2)

A method of synthesizing nanoparticles in which a high-power femtosecond pulsed laser beam is focused and irradiated into a metal ion solution, which is a metal precursor, and the resulting physicochemical reaction that occurs in the vicinity of the focus is used for synthesis. See below for details.
URL: https://www.illuminus.co.jp/about/

About illuminus Inc.

illuminus is a venture company originating from National University Corporation Tohoku University that develops and manufactures metal and alloy nanoparticles by taking advantage of laser technology.

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